Blue moves

Blue moves
Studio album by Elton John
Publication (s)	October 22, 1976
admission	March 1976
Label (s)	MCA Records (US / Canada) The Rocket Record Company (UK)
Genre (s)	skirt
running time	84:47
production	Gus Dudgeon
Studio (s)	Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada
chronology Here and There (1976) Blue moves Greatest Hits Volume II (1977)
Single releases November 1, 1976 Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word January 31, 1977 Bite Your Lips (Get Up and Dance!) 4th February 1977 Crazy Water

Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by the British singer and composer Elton John .

For the cover, John chose a picture he had recently acquired for his own collection, which was painted by Irish artist Patrick Procktor and who called it "The Guardian Readers". The plan was to make fifty copies of the long-playing record available to the British daily Sun to support the ongoing sales. This was supposed to distribute the records to the winners as part of a reader puzzle. Shortly before the implementation of this intention, the Sun pointed out in an article alluding to John's convictions that only young men and no women were shown in the picture. Annoyed, John then refrained from doing this.

background

"Blue Moves" was the first album that John released on his own record company The Rocket Record Company. In order to highlight the special thing about this event, he really wanted to release it as a double album. He received support for this project from the company EMI, which took over the marketing for John for the first time, although it was known that double albums were more difficult to sell because of the higher sales price.

With incredible creativity, John released eleven studio albums in less than seven years. However, “Blue Moves” was initially rejected by both critics and long-term fans. Compared to his other double album " Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ", it performed worse when it was released. The music style was different, the overall mood on the album was more sedate and new talents like James Newton Howard, Caleb Quaye or Roger Pope underlined the change.

In 1996 the album was re-released on CD. John Tobler wrote a very detailed accompanying text from which two curiosities can be found. So John was proud that “Blue Moves” was his first album to go platinum. Before 1976, however, there was no platinum status. Elton John and Bernie Taupin are given as song authors for “Theme from a non-existent TV series”. This is an instrumental piece without any text.

The many years on the concert tour had left their mark on John. During a concert in Wembley in 1977, John was promoting his new album and, despite a previous concert break, announced: "I haven't been touring for a long time. It's been a painful decision, whether to come back on the road or not. I ' ve made a decision tonight - this is going to be the last show. There's a lot more to me than playing on the road. " (Eng .: "I haven't been on a concert tour for a long time. It was a painful decision whether to come back on stage or not. I made my decision tonight - this will be my last gig. There is so much more for me me than to be on a concert tour ”). He then played "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word".

review

The lyrics of the songs were mostly dark and pessimistic. Taupin's marriage to Maxine had failed, he no longer had a clear, personal direction for himself, which was reflected in the song lyrics.

To lighten the mood, two short instrumentals were recorded. One of them was composed by Caleb Quaye, the other had a title corresponding to John's humor, "Theme from a Non-Existing TV Series".

For John and Taupin, “Blue Moves” was not the beginning of a new era, but the end of an old one.

Track list

Elton John composed the music for all titles , and Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics unless otherwise indicated.

LP and CD

page 1

1. "You're Starter for ..." (Caleb Quaye) - 1:23
2. "Tonight" - 7:52
3. "One Horse Town" (John, James Newton-Howard, Taupin) - 5:56
4. "Chameleon" - 5:27

Page 2

5. "Boogie Pilgrim" (John, Davey Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) - 6:05
6. "Cage the Songbird" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) - 3:25
7. "Crazy Water" - 5:42
8. "Shoulder Holster" - 5:10

Page 3

9. " Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word " - 3:48
10. "Out of the Blue" - 6:14
11. "Between Seventeen and Twenty" (John, Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) - 5:17
12. "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" (John, Johnstone, Newton-Howard, Quaye, Taupin) - 3:27
13. "Someone's Final Song" - 4:10

page 4

14. "Where's the Shoorah?" - 4:09
15. "If There's a God in Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) - 4:25
16. "Idol" - 4:08
17. "Theme from a Non-Existing TV Series" - 1:19
18. "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" - 6:43

The first CD release by The Rocket Record Company in 1985 (the CD itself does not contain any information on the time of release, this date can be found in the re-release from 1996) only contained one CD, where the title "Shoulder Holster" was , "Out of the Blue" and "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" were not included (only 15 tracks with a playing time of 69:24 minutes).

Only a second, later edition with 2 CDs, digitally edited by Gus Dudgeon from 1996 by Mercury Records, contained all of the original 18 songs from the first release on LP.

occupation

• Elton John - vocals, piano, keyboards
• Curt Becher - backing vocals
• Michael Brecker - saxophone
• Randy Brecker - trumpet
• Paul Buckmaster - conductor
• Cindy Bullens - backing vocals
• Clark Burroughs - backing vocals
• Joe Chemay - backing vocals
• Ray Cooper - percussion
• Cornerstone Choir - choral singing
• David Crosby - backing vocals
• Martyn Ford - violin
• Carl Fortina - accordion
• Ron Hicklin - backing vocals
• Michael Hurwitz - cello
• Bruce Johnston - backing vocals
• Davey Johnstone - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin
• Jan Joyce - backing vocals
• Jon Joyce - backing vocals
• The London Symphony Orchestra - instrumental ensemble
• Gene Morford - backing vocals
• Graham Nash - backing vocals
• James Newton-Howard - organ, synthesizer , electric piano, mellotron
• Gene Page - violin
• Kenny Passarelli - bass guitar
• Roger Pope - drums
• Caleb Quaye - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Barry Rogers - trombone
• David Sanborn - saxophone
• Toni Tenille - backing vocals

production

• Gus Dudgeon - producer, sound engineer, remixing
• Arun Chakraverty - sound engineer, editing engineer
• Mark Howlett - sound engineer
• John Kurlander - sound engineer
• Earle Mankey - sound engineer
• John Stewart - sound engineer
• Phil Dunne - Mixing, Remixing
• Rev. James Cleveland - choir director
• David Larkham - Project Coordinator
• Curt Becher - arrangement
• Paul Buckmaster - arrangement
• Daryl Dragon - arrangement
• Bruce Johnston - arrangement
• James Newton-Howard - arrangement
• David Costa - Artistic Design
• David Nutter - photographs
• Gus Dudgeon - album cover text

Charts

album

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	39 (4 weeks)	4th
United Kingdom (OCC)	3 (15 weeks)	15th
United States (Billboard)	3 (22 weeks)	22nd

single

Year	single	Chart	position
1976	"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"	USA Billboard Hot 100	6th
1977	"Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance!)"	USA Billboard Hot 100	28
1976	"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"	UK Singles Chart	11
1977	"Crazy Water"	UK Singles Chart	27
1977	"Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance!)"	UK Singles Chart	28

Awards for music sales

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
France (SNEP)	gold	100,000
Canada (MC)	gold	50,000
United States (RIAA)	platinum	1,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	gold	100,000
All in all	3 × gold 1 × platinum	1,250,000

Main article: Elton John / Music Sales Awards

Individual evidence

1. ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. Harmony Books, New York 1992, ISBN 0-517-58762-9 , p. 335
2. ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 335
3. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-moves-mw0000192703
4. ↑ Video on YouTube
5. ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 336
6. ↑ ^{a b c} Chart positions: DE UK US
7. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-moves-mw0000192703/awards
8. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-moves-mw0000192703/awards
9. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/
10. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/
11. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/